Geoff Parling was a Lions Test series winner against Australia in 2013. In 2025, he is now the Wallabies forwards coach and hoping to create history against the Lions
Geoff Parling is poacher turned gamekeeper.
The England lock played in all three Tests for the British & Irish Lions 12 years ago, beating Australia 2-1. His crucial tap tackle on Jesse Mogg was a deciding factor in the third game decider.
This time around, however, Parling sits on the other side of the chessboard. 12 years on and he wears the green and gold of the Wallabies as Joe Schmidt’s forward coach.
And in doing so, he will be hoping to make history in becoming the first person to have beaten the Lions in a Test series as a Test series-winning Lions.
Geoff Parling on coaching the Wallabies against the Lions
Being part of such an exclusive club, a series-winning Lion who is now trying to unpick that legacy with your adopted country. A pretty phenomenal feat that should have emotions running riot.
Parling will have seen this day coming for a long time. Appointed Wallabies forwards coach in 2020 by David Rennie, he has been a constant through some dark periods, notably the 2023 World Cup with Eddie Jones.
Now back on the straight and narrow with Schmidt, the previous sentiment that this series would be a whitewash for the Lions has begun to soften in both camps. There is hope and maybe even belief that Australia could cause an upset.
If so, it will come curtesy of a Parling-led forward pack that boasts real talent like Will Skelton and Angus Bell.
It should be a moment that is undeniably defining. But not for Parling, who remarkably is seeing this as just any other Test week.
“Look, I know it’s a unique experience and 2013 feels much longer than 12 years ago. Doesn’t it for you?” says Parling.
“A lot has happened in 12 years, jeez. A special moment, of course it is, a special team to be involved in here but it just feels like a normal Test week for me at the moment, it honestly does.
“Someone asked me at the start of the week, does this bring back some great memories and I said I hadn’t really thought about it in that way. I think most coaches are generally quite professional so generally I am thinking about how am I prepping my next session in the best possibly way. And I honestly mean that.
“I’m definitely not reflecting right now. Honestly, I don’t think about it like that. And you may think “what are you talking about? Yeah, you do” but I don’t.
“I’m just thinking it’s great to be involved with a great bunch of blokes representing Australia and I just want to do as best a job as I can do and I’m adding value to our team on game day. Maybe when I’m really, really, really old I will reflect back then but honestly, the time being, it’s head down.”
However much Parling attempts to act cool, there is no denying the gravity of what he is about to do.
He won a Test series for the Lions against Australia last time out. Now he wants to beat the Lions with Australia. And he is deadly serious about doing so.
So often the talk is of once a Lion, always a Lion. This indescribable bond between players selected to reach the pinnacle of their sport.
For Parling, who has been based in Melbourne since ending his career at the Rebels in 2018, he is looking to be chief disruptor of the dreams of 44 home nations players.
Key to that disruption will be the 41-year-old sitting in a unique position of knowing exactly what emotions will be swirling around the heads of those Test Lions come Saturday at the Suncorp Stadium.
A potential point advantage to Australia although Parling would not see it that way.
“I certainly shared some things with the training camp back in January. I am very wary that it is not about me, but if I can give something valuable to our players I’ll certainly do that. I’ve just got to make sure what I give to them is valuable. So what I am probably giving in terms of that is probably less than you think. As we’re getting closer to the Tests, it’s probably getting less and less.
“It is just normal stuff. I think in any of these big games, it’s still the same game, it is just the circus around it is bigger. The moments in every game matter a little bit more.
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“That’s the case the higher any level you go. I think what you will see from Thursday onwards is more people arriving in Brisbane and I think you will see that throughout the next two weeks.
“Maybe our players haven’t seen it yet, the amount of support that will be around. I expect that to really kick on and improve if our lads go for a walk in the city from Thursday.
Geoff Parling’s 2013 Lions memories
Jesse Mogg of the Wallabies is ankle tapped by Geoff Parling during third Test match between Australia and British & Irish Lions. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
You may remember Parling as a solid line out lock who had a good career in the Premiership with Newcastle and Leicester Tigers.
But in 2013, he was a Test Lion on all three occasions. He came off the bench in the first and started the final two.
In fact, his tap tackle on Jesse Mogg in the third Test was a crucial moment in the series, arguably deciding in its actions.
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It propelled that team into Lions lore and created a special moment for every member of that squad to remember for the rest of their life.
And yet for Parling, that tour in 2013 was only the second most special thing to happen to him that month.
“The biggest thing for me was my daughter was born back in the UK and she was healthy. So the biggest thing that stands out for me wasn’t even on the rugby field,” explains Parling.
“That might sound crazy because it’s a big tour, but going back and meeting your daughter when she’s two and a half weeks old, it’s pretty special. Changing her nappy when all the blokes are on the piss back in Sydney celebrating, in a way pretty special.
“But yeah, just everyone coming hard to work together to get an outcome and then I’d probably say that changing room after the final Test, that would also stand out for me.”
After this series is all said and done, Parling will return to England to take on the head coach gig at Leicester Tigers.
But before doing that, he is keen to make history in beating the Lions with the Wallabies after beating the Wallabies with the Lions, a pretty phenomenal feat even if Parling does not want to admit it.
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